Classic Pita Bread

Name: Classic Pita Bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 360 g all-purpose flour; 7 g instant yeast; 8 g sugar; 9 g fine salt; 240 g warm water; 25 g olive oil

Soft homemade pita bread with tender, chewy edges and a hollow pocket created by steam in a blazing-hot oven.

Total

150 min

Servings

Level

Intermediate

Vegan

Ingredients

360 g all-purpose flour
7 g instant yeast
8 g sugar
9 g fine salt
240 g warm water
25 g olive oil

Instructions

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water and olive oil. Mix until shaggy.

Knead 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in lightly oiled bowl. Cover.

Rise until approximately doubled, about 60-90 minutes depending on room temperature.

90 min

Divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape into smooth balls. Cover and rest 15-20 minutes.

17 min

Place baking steel, baking stone, or heavy inverted sheet pan into oven. Preheat oven to 500F for at least 30 minutes so the cooking surface is thoroughly heated.

30 min

Roll one dough ball into approximately 6-inch circle about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Even thickness is critical - uneven pita may not inflate properly. Keep rolled dough covered while working.

Bake 1-2 pitas at a time directly on hot surface. Bake approximately 2 minutes until dramatically puffed.

Flip if necessary and bake another 30-60 seconds. Remove before pita becomes hard. Wrap finished pitas in clean towel.

Nutrition per serving

187

Calories

Protein

33g

Carbs

Fat

Chef's Notes & Storage

CHEF'S NOTES: - Even thickness is critical for full puffing. Uneven pita may not inflate. - Keep rolled dough covered so it doesn't dry out - dry dough won't puff. - Oven method on a preheated steel/stone produces the most consistent full pockets. SKILLET METHOD: Preheat cast iron over medium-high. Cook ~1-2 min first side until bubbles appear. Flip. Cook another 1-2 min. Flip again if necessary. PITA TROUBLESHOOTING - WHY DIDN'T MY PITA PUFF? - Oven/cooking surface not hot enough - Dough rolled unevenly - Dough dried out before baking - Dough too thick - Rolled disk developed holes - Dough did not rest enough A pita that doesn't fully puff is still edible as flatbread. STORAGE: Cool before sealing. Room temp 2-3 days. Freezer ~2 months. SCALING: 0.5x = 4, 1x = 8, 1.5x = 12, 2x = 16. Rise time does not scale. ALLERGENS: Contains wheat. May contain soy. NUTRITION NOTE: Calculated per pita (1/8 of recipe) using standard USDA nutrition values.

Part of:Flatbreads Breads